Apple iPhone 6S Plus vs. Samsung Galaxy Note 5

Apple has finally announced the iPhone 6s Plus at a high profile event in San Francisco. This new device will unquestionably be competing directly with the Galaxy Note 5, considering that Samsung is the most obvious rival to Apple. So how do the two devices compare? Here is a rundown of all the specifications and features of these two important phablets.

iPhone 6s Plus vs Galaxy Note 5 – Construction

Samsung has closed the gap on the iPhone range in this department in recent years, and the Galaxy Note 5 is certainly an attractive and contemporary smartphone. But the iPhone range is deservedly iconic, and Apple has always been able to attract consumers via the brilliance of its design. This doesn’t look likely to change with the iPhone 6s Plus, and the inclusion of series 7000 aluminum will be a further boon to the durability of the iPhone range.

Size and Weight

Consumers that purchase phablets are not necessarily looking for the sleekest design, considering the sheer size of these contemporary mobile devices. The iPhone 6s is marginally larger that the Galaxy Note 5, with the two devices measuring 6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29 and 6.03 x 2.99 x 0.29 respectively, but the difference between the two is almost non-existent and certainly not noticeable.

However, the Samsung handset is somewhat lighter than the iPhone 6s Plus, with the Apple device weighing in at around 167g, approximately 25g more than the Galaxy Note 5.

Display

There is no doubt that the Galaxy Note 5 has the edge in this department. Apple was widely expected to improve the resolution in the iPhone 6s Plus, but ultimately this did not come to fruition. This means that the next generation iPhone 6s Plus remains stuck with a full HD resolution, which does not compare favourably with the Quad HD that the Galaxy Note 5 is armed with.

In addition, the super AMOLED display included in the Galaxy Note 5 is also marginally larger than the iPhone 6s Plus screen, and this means that overall the viewing experience for high-definition content is simply superior on the Samsung device. The larger screen size does mean that the pixels per inch gulf between the two devices is smaller than would otherwise be expected, but it is impossible to argue that iPhone 6s Plus is the superior handset in terms of display.

Memory and Storage

Apple has yet to provide memory details for the iPhone 6s Plus, but it must be asserted that it is extremely unlikely that it will match the 4 GB of random memory that is included with the Galaxy Note 5. However, it should be noted that the iPhone has always punched above its weight historically owing to the proprietary hardware and software combination that Apple is able to release. A likely figure for the iPhone 6s Plus storage would seem to be 2 GB, but this certainly has not been confirmed by Apple at the time of writing.

However, Apple does have the edge in storage. The 128 GB version of the iPhone 6s Plus is the largest quotient of available storage in either series, and it seems extremely strange that Samsung has neglected this option. It seems particularly odd considering that Samsung has embraced a higher screen resolution, and thus many users of the Galaxy Note 5 are likely to require large amounts of storage space. So this is definitely a big plus point for Apple in this department, while both manufacturers also offer smaller storage quotients should you not require the maximum amount.

iPhone 6s Plus

Galaxy Note 5

Display

5.5-inches

5.7-inches

Resolution

1920 x 1080 pixels

2,560 x 1,440 pixels

Processor

Apple A9 (clock speed unknown)

Exynos (2.1GHz and 1.5GHz, octa-core)

RAM

N/K, but probably 2 GB

4 GB

Storage

16 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB

32 GB, 64 GB

Rear-facing Camera

12-megapixels

16-megapixels

Front-facing Camera

5-megapixels

5-megapixels

Battery

N/K, but 10 hours lifespan

3,000 mAh, approx 11 hours lifespan

Weight

0.42 pounds

0.37 pounds

Dimensions in inches

6.23 x 3.07 x 0.29

6.03 x 2.99 x 0.29

Starting Price

$749

$699.99

Camera

Camera technology is a major battleground for mobile manufacturers in this day and age, and there were rumors long before the iPhone 6s Plus came to market that Apple would significantly improve the camera technology included in the series. This has certainly proved to be a prophetic prediction, and the iPhone 6s Plus does indeed deliver the best camera performance of any iPhone device ever.

Firstly, the megapixel rating of the phone has been improved to 12-megapixels. Certainly Android fans can boast that the Galaxy Note 5 delivers a 16-megapixel camera, but the difference between the two devices in this department is now pretty negligible.

And camera aficionados have known for a long time that megapixel rating in itself does not determine the quality of pictures taken. With this in mind, Apple seems to have made a particularly smart move in addressing one of the particular bugbears of mobile photography; low-light shooting. The new feature included in the iPhone 6s Plus whereby its sensor is able to attract 300 percent more light than previous iPhone cameras could be one of the best innovations yet to appear in the iPhone range.

Samsung has made minimal improvements in the Galaxy Note 5, but certainly elements of its photographic abilities are still technically superior to the iPhone series. It will be interesting to see how the iPhone 6s Plus performs in this department once it is released; certainly Apple has closed the gap on Samsung at the very least.

Processor

Apple has not released specific information about the iPhone 6s Plus processor, except to claim that it offers 70 percent improved processing capabilities, and 90 percent faster graphics. If true, this would seem to suggest that the iPhone 6s Plus will compete extremely favorably with the Exynos 7420 processor included in the Galaxy Note 5. The Exynos 7420 ia often described as an octa-core processor, but in fact features two quad-core bundles clocked at 2.1GHz and 1.5GHz,

Battery

It is difficult to compare the two devices in this department, because Apple has neglected to provide battery details. But the consumer electronics giant claims that the battery in the iPhone 6s Plus will last for 10 hours. This would put it in an extremely similar ballpark to the Galaxy Note 5, although it is notable that the Samsung tablet has lasted for close to 11 hours in testing conditions. Based on this information, though, the difference between the two devices in terms of battery life looks to be pretty negligible.

Price

Samsung fans will be pleased to note that the Galaxy Note 5 will retail at a lower price point than the iPhone 6s Plus. The Android device costs $699 off-contract in the United States, which compares weill with the iPhone 6s Plus price point of $749. With Samsung having recently released the Galaxy S6 Edge+, it has decided to make the Galaxy Note 5 somewhat more affordable, and this should certainly be factored into purchasing decisions.

Conclusion

What seems reasonable to say in conclusion is that Apple has done a pretty good job of closing the spec gaps between the two devices, and if the extra features that Apple promises with the iPhone 6s Plus impress, then it could have a winning phablet on its hands. Having said that, the more affordable Galaxy Note 5 price point and still powerful specs make this an extremely attractive package.

Author: Christopher MorrisChristopher Morris is a passionate player of video games since the days of Space Invaders, and is extensively published on the subjects of Business, Technology and Politics. Chris also contributes to Yahoo.